Thursday, June 18, 2009

Fraer Island declared a Biosphere

Fraser Island

The Great Sandy region, which includes Fraser Island, has been declared a biosphere reserve at a UNESCO meeting in South Korea. Biospheres are sites of significant biodiversity that are managed under strict conservation and sustainable development principles. The reserves are recognised under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere program. Burnett Mary Regional Group chief executive David Brown says the region is very unique. "There is an underlying geophysical feature - the Cooloola sand mass - which is why Fraser Island is one, if not the world's largest sand island," he said. "Along with the Great Sandy Strait, there is also a whole series of interesting habitat on the mainland and Fraser which are actually unique globally. "It results in an amazing range of biodiversity, both fauna and flora." The Great Sandy Region is the 15th biosphere to be declared in Australia. *ABC

Ed Comment; What that will mean for the much persecuted Fraser Island dingoes we have no idea, probably no changes to current "management" will take place.

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Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc.

A Flying Fox in care!

The Much-Maligned Flying Foxes

Apart from kangaroos, the Flying Fox is one of the most persecuted animals in Australia. Blamed for destroying fruit farmers profits, spreading disease, and some residents living close to flying fox camps complain regularly of the smell. In fact flying foxes are none of these things.

Flying foxes are essential polinators of night-flowering rainforest trees, and without them, our forests would be a much poorer place. Loss of habitat has forced flying fox camps closer to residential areas, and houses are being built closer and closer to the camps in the mangroves. All flying fox species populations are believed to be crashing in numbers, mainly through loss of habitat and harassment.